October 2015 Blog Posts (53)

"It is amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit." - Harry Truman

I recently listened to a podcast interview with man who I consider to be a fire service hero. I refer to him as such because he has been at the forefront of leadership, travels both nationally and internationally championing the cause of the firefighting, and serves as the head of multiple organizations that disseminate fire service information to the masses. Upon concluding the…

Firefighter Nutrition:

3 Quick & Easy Tips when there’s no Time to Cook

Let’s face it; as firefighters, you don’t have loads of time to spend on meal prep. Yet, there aren’t many jobs that have higher energy demands than firefighting,…

One of the items that we discuss in the Training Officer’s Desk Reference is Mentoring and Influence. Regardless of what rank you hold, each of us has the ability to mentor. As Lt. General Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) stated in the movie We Were Soldiers, “learn the job above you and teach your job to those below you…” When you begin to understand how your influence affects those…

The “C” in SLICE-RS, representing the tactic of “Cooling from a safe location”, seems to remain the primary stumbling block for many current firefighters when presented with this practical application of the fire dynamics research findings.  Every other step in this “new” strategy, from Size-Up to Salvage, was already standard practice for most of us, with much of the innovation being how they were emphasized (see MFA #11:SLICE-RS and Flow Paths and Change, Oh My! at…

Regardless of which side you fall on in the debate of truckie vs. engine firefighter, it should be noted that both may have a fire ground responsibility to throw ladders. This does not seem to be widely put into practice, however. Especially for those arriving on an engine, the tunnel vision of only stretching hose lines must be overcome. Ground ladder usage cannot die on the chalkboard.

Aggressive…

 In the present time, it is hard to ignore the national politics as we gear up for 2016 presidential elections. The republican and democratic parties are waging an all-out media assault, while trying to persuade the American people that their candidate is best for the position. The beginning of the mudslinging campaigns have started, and opinions of what will become of America are at an all-time high. Can this be related to the fire station life? I mean,…

So, there you are browsing your favorite cat videos and fellow firefighters on Facebook (or, insert your preferred social media site here) when you come across an article or cell phone video where another fire department has had a call go terribly wrong. Cool, you say, as you watch in anticipation for that telling moment when you can judge without knowing all the…

Harvest season has been in full swing across much of the Corn Belt for several weeks. And with this surge of activity, typically comes an increase in the number of fires we see in harvesting equipment and grain handling facilities. This year has been no exception. In the past few weeks, many fires relating to harvest operations have been reported in these farming communities.

In Iowa last week, firefighters responded to a fire in a tower grain dryer, and high…

The Sunday Preach

Are you comfortable?

"...without a working SCBA, you are nothing more than a civilian in a fireman costume." 

At some point, all of us walked into the fire station for the first time as a firefighter.  For most, this was a nerve-filled, highly anticipated moment when they finally saw some pretty big dreams come true. From that first moment we stepped through the door, we all had to gauge what it was going to take to impress the others, and find out what our role was going to be. The vast majority of firefighters would tell you that they did whatever it took to break through to the other side; the…

Charles…

Antonio…

The Mayor of Detroit has appointed a former police officer with a law degree and Director of the City’s Building Department as the fire commissioner after the retirement of Commissioner Edsel Jenkins. Let me say right off the bat, I have nothing against cops or lawyers or building officials as some of my best friends possess some or all of those qualifications. 

Mayor Dugan stated in his nomination presentation that,…

10 Ways to Achieve Better Work-Life Balance

            It seems the only way to get ahead in our profession these days is to get behind at home. I find that I am guilty of living my life in the hamster wheel of “business as usual.” Many articles and books have and are being written about finding a healthy work/life balance. It is a widespread problem that continues to elude people, especially those of us…

Promoting Your Fire Department on a Zero Budget

Joseph Kitchen, Bath Twp. Fire Department (Lima, Ohio)

            If your fire department is like mine, the budget is most likely tight. For the last decade or so, we are all trying to do far more with less funding.  Money for “extra”…

Periodically, the fire service blogosphere will feature a rant from one of us about such topics as the need to keep rescue as our primary function, face risks bravely, and/or generally uphold the traditional values of our calling.  These essays are usually wide-ranging, passionate, and very popular.  I also typically find myself agreeing with much of the sentiments that the writers are conveying, as I suspect most other readers do, even those messages that begin with some version of the…

What Does Vacant Mean?

by David Rhodes…